murakami, haruki - Norwegian wood

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The fourth thing I have to say is that you have been such a great source of strength for Naoko that even if you no longer have the feelings of a lover towards her, there is still a lot you can do for her. So don't brood over everything in that super-serious way of yours. All of us (by which I mean all of us, both normal and not-so-normal) are imperfect human beings living in an imperfect world. We don't live with the mechanical precision of a bank account or by measuring all our lines and angles with rulers and protractors. Am I right? My own personal feeling is that Midori sounds like a great girl. I understand just reading your letter why you would be drawn to her. And I understand, too, why you would also be drawn to Naoko. There's nothing the least bit sinful about it. Things like that happen all the time in this great big world of ours. It's like taking a boat out on a beautiful lake on a beautiful day and thinking both the sky and the lake are beautiful. So stop eating yourself up. Things will go where they're supposed to go if you just let them take their natural course. Despite your best efforts, people are going to be hurt when it's time for them to be hurt. Life is like that. I know I sound like I'm preaching from a pulpit, but it's about time you learned to live like this. You try too hard to make life fit your way of doing things. If you don't want to spend time in an insane asylum, you have to open up a little more and let yourself go with life's natural flow. I'm just a powerless and imperfect woman, but still there are times when I think to myself how wonderful life can be! Believe me, it's true! So stop what you're doing this minute and get happy. Work at making yourself happy! Needless to say, I do feel sorry that you and Naoko could not see things through to a happy ending. But who can say what's best? That's why you need to grab whatever chance you have of happiness where you find it, and not worry about other people too much. My experience tells me that we get no more than two or three such chances in a lifetime, and if we let them go, we regret it for the rest of our lives. 322
I'm playing the guitar every day for no one in particular. It seems a bit pointless. I don't like dark, rainy nights, either. I hope I'll have another chance to play my guitar and eat grapes with you and Naoko in the room with me. Ah, well, until then - Reiko Ishida 323
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HARUKI MURAKAMI was born in Kyoto i
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First published as Normeei no marl
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The stewardess came to check on me
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a kick to some part of my mind. Wak
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"I just know," she said, increasing
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along the path. "I'm sorry," she sa
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Once upon a time, many years ago -
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national anthem, too, of course. Yo
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for ashtrays held mounds of cigaret
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anything about the others myself, I
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"But that's impossible," he said ma
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Almost a year had gone by since I h
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eally wouldn't be any bother to you
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occupying that central position. Tr
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wiper. Kizuki had left no suicide n
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Naoko called me the following Satur
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somebody in the dorm had taken down
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answers they wanted. And so I went
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hesitation. "Not exactly fashionabl
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he said. "Swallowed 'em whole." "Wh
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and while she was putting on her st
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That winter I found a part-time job
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arrived at Naoko's room the cake wa
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trying to go on, but had come up ag
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I picked up my clothes and dressed.
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at the end I added: Waiting for you
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etter. As you say, this is probably
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Maybe this firefly was on the verge
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During the summer holidays the univ
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dust covered his desk and radio. Hi
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she said. "I had a perm this summer
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omantic company? New women in far-o
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lecture. When it was over I went to
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Watanabe, I have this feeling like,
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problems far more urgent and releva
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ain." "Shouldn't you go home and ge
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expensive school trips. For instanc
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esting on her lap. "That was the pr
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you." "I'd like that," I said. Mido
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the shutter and stepped a few paces
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"Thanks," I said. It suddenly dawne
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I nodded, swallowing a mouthful of
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"You're very clear about what you l
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"I'd go and have a look around at l
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unning away." "Even if this place b
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"It's true. Don't you think I'm ter
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different from other people's. I'm
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call," I said. 'As long as lunch is
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At 11.30 Nagasawa was ready to give
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"So find a vending machine and a ni
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the events had undoubtedly happened
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this time I am very, very calm. Cle
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We eat freshly picked fruits and ve
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to the Ami Hostel. A woman receptio
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still taste my morning coffee. By t
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PRIVATE NO TRESPASSING. A few clues
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merely a nice person but whose nice
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my question. "The first thing you o
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"What should I do, then? Give me an
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I nodded. "I think the three of us
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we can ask a staff member to buy fo
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"I'm sure I'll be fine." "So, that
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With Naoko gone, I went to sleep on
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weightlessness on the secretion of
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"It's lovely, though," said Naoko.
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never plays it unless I request it.
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laughing. "How many girls has he sl
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"I couldn't get wet," she said in a
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Reiko sat alone on the carpet, play
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She picked up the basketball again,
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it in hot water, taking a few days
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I said I liked him and thought he w
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all this talk about me. You came he
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have negative thoughts about her be
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draw people - or draw me, at least
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her, outside work, or sports. She h
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est side, I'd say he succeeded. His
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anana; if we got lonely, we'd go to
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the window. She had drawn her knees
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changes to be reborn in utter perfe
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feed and a garden hose. Naoko screw
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"We'll be back before lunch." The t
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used it to make a whistle. The trai
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adios in our rooms, so if I don't c
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"It feels like ancient history," sa
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"Well, it depends how you look at i
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"She was the kind of person who too
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something inside me had died. I jus
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dining hall. "Is he a doctor or a p
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"Fine," said Reiko. "But if we keep
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most. Then I'd have her play the pi
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to go on with her story. "Well, any
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and saying "There there,' and she's
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There was nothing I could say, and
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ever experienced before, never once
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Of course. I told him everything th
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everything he could to heal me, and
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night before, Naoko was the usual N
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the way, when you went to Tokyo?" "
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her body in my hands. In the darkne
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"You see what?" "Nothing. Just "I s
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I'd make lots of babies for you as
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"Hmm ..." "And I'm just spacing out
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Midori came for me at 9.30 on Sunda
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"I don't know, I've never done it w
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like the subjunctive case and diffe
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somehow to the East India Company?'
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comes we have to treat them to sush
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Watanabe." "Glad to meet you," I sa
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"No, I guess not. It's complicated,
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"I really can't say until the time
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know if I can keep going to univers
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At 1.30 she left the hospital to do
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"After I do my laundry tomorrow mor
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ed and held it by the tip of his pe
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make people get really vicious all
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worry, I'd take care of both you an
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"Will you really take me to a porno
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stolen bases. After noon I went bac
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made myself a cup of tea with a tea
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"I do." "Look, the world is an inhe
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Eventually a waiter came and took o
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"What do you mean "that kind of tal
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"You know, Toru," she said, "I have
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"I can leave," I said. "No," said H
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of loving anybody. There's always s
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"Do you know somewhere we could pla
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"Or is it that you don't like being
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anybody's said to me in the past ye
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quadrangle. I began by telling Naok
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There was no sign of Midori at the
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I sipped my whisky and soda, then s
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open a pistachio, "the whole time I
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"You know," she said, "I have this
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"There aren't any trees around here
Page 272 and 273: early." "Wait a minute, I thought y
Page 274 and 275: "Me, too," I said. "Every once in a
Page 276 and 277: situation conducive to sexual excit
Page 278 and 279: eyond the window cast a soft white
Page 280 and 281: so painful for me to write letters.
Page 282 and 283: Thinking back on the year 1969, all
Page 284 and 285: shovelling snow when there was time
Page 286 and 287: over this, and then climbed into he
Page 288 and 289: great couple." "Yeah, right!" I sai
Page 290 and 291: I went to a phone box and dialled h
Page 292 and 293: gardeners in the area and because h
Page 294 and 295: you to one of our sessions if possi
Page 296 and 297: A letter came from Midori on 6 Apri
Page 298 and 299: eginning of October." "Whew! That c
Page 300 and 301: ago. My sister helps out there thre
Page 302 and 303: even noticed that my hairstyle had
Page 304 and 305: Saturdays and Sundays: waiting on t
Page 306 and 307: of letters like this, but from Naok
Page 308 and 309: whisky. Itoh said I could spend the
Page 310 and 311: it for you soon. I went to the univ
Page 312 and 313: "I've been really lonely these past
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Page 316 and 317: eak, without a sound, soaking her h
Page 318 and 319: "But really, Watanabe, you don't wa
Page 320 and 321: her bed. I had no doubts about thos
Page 324 and 325: Reiko wrote to me several times aft
Page 326 and 327: nails being driven into the lid of
Page 328 and 329: The wind tore along the sand beach
Page 330 and 331: However I might phrase it, though,
Page 332 and 333: On the train out to Kichijoji, Reik
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Page 336 and 337: "The jacket and trousers are hers,
Page 338 and 339: her why she was burning stuff like
Page 340 and 341: stroked her hair. "Don't worry,' I
Page 342 and 343: amount of cash. So don't worry. I w
Page 344 and 345: the point. I can't forgive myself.
Page 346 and 347: "So play it terribly." I brought ou
Page 348 and 349: myself inside her. "You're not goin
Page 350 and 351: you: you'll do fine wherever you go
Page 352 and 353: TRANSLATOR'S NOTE Haruki Murakami w
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murakami, haruki - Norwegian wood

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